By 1800 the French enjoyed a thriving porcelain trade with the United States, and many Parisian manufacturers provided both forms and decoration to suit American tastes. During the second decade of the nineteenth century ornamental vases became popular parlor accessories and were often brought back from travels abroad. This elaborate pair was originally owned by Nathan Appleton, a wealthy textile merchant and member of Boston's cultural elite.

The vases feature finely painted landscapes and seascapes, probably based on prints. With their lavish gilded decoration, they are among the most ornate known from the Federal period with a history of American ownership. They display the classical idiom fashionable for the day in their shape and molded masks at the handle terminals. They are further distinguished by tooled gilding on the neck and base in a pattern of palmettes and classical rosettes.

The vases are marked by the Parisian firm of Marc Schoelcher, which established an important presence in America. In 1829 Schoelcher sent his son Victor to the United States to market their wares. Appleton's Beacon Street neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. David Sears Jr., also acquired a pair of sumptuous vases attributed to Schoelcher.